APC crisis worsens as NWC members accuse Adamu of dictatorship, sidelining them

Salihu Lukman and Isaacs Kekemeke, two members of the national working committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), say there is an attempt to foist a “fait accompli” on them and their colleagues.

In a statement on Tuesday, Lukman, national vice-chairman, north-west, and Kekemeke, national vice-chairman, south-west, alleged that Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman, takes decisions unilaterally.

Both NWC members said every effort to get Adamu to respect the authority of the committee is proving difficult.

“We are compelled to make this statement following the serial postponement of the scheduled National Working Committee (NWC) meetings, twice within 48 hours. We are convinced beyond doubt that this is a deliberate attempt to foist a fait accompli on the NWC on fundamental issues that affect our great party,” they said.

“The national chairman takes decisions unilaterally. When it suits him, he invokes the name of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari to blackmail NWC members into accepting his decisions.

“Every effort to get the Chairman to respect the authority of the NWC as elected by the March 26, 2022 APC National Convention is proving very difficult, if not impossible. Note that NEC’s donation of its powers was to NWC and not to the National Chairman or any individual.”

They appealed to APC leaders to weigh in and call the chairman to order.

“We therefore have no option but to make this public appeal to all APC leaders to intervene please urgently to call our National Chairman, His Excellency, Abdullahi Adamu to order, immediately,” they said.

“The national chairman must be properly reminded to recognise that the business of managing the day-to-day affairs of the party is the responsibility of the NWC as provided in provisions of the APC Constitution. He is free to consult any party leader(s).

“Such consultations will not represent decisions of the NWC or any organ of the party unless and until it is adopted by a properly constituted meeting of the NWC or organ in question according to the letters and spirit of the APC constitution

“No NWC member is elected at the March 26, 2022 National Convention to warm seats or offices in the National Secretariat.”

The duo asked other NWC members to join them to “save our great party and return it to its founding mission of moving Nigeria forward”.

Lukman had earlier written a letter dated May 27 and addressed to Adamu, in which he said activities for the party’s convention were “being handled informally”.

“At the rate we are going, we are walking back to the old spot of over centralised implementation of party decisions around the national chairman,” he had said.